Insulated structure



Sept. y8, i942. c. o. FRIEDLY '252955-103 INSULATED tSTRUCTURE -Y FiledJuly 17, 1940 n fr w Patented Sept. 8, 1942 r erica INSULATED STRUCTURECharles O. Friedly, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Johns-ManvilleCorporation, New York, N, Y., a corporation of New York Application July17, 1940, Serial No. 345,881

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to insulated structures, and moreparticularly, to improved f insulating constructions for the side wallsof tanks and the like.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to insulate the walls of tanks employedin the refining and storage of petroleum products and for other uses,sucli prior installations comprising insulating blankets or blocksapplied to the walls and in some instances surrounded by sheathing whichis supported by metal framing members or the like from the tank wall.The sheathing serves as a weather-resistant, protective exterior coverfor the insulation, and hence, has been preferred. However, the metalframework heretofore required to support the sheathing conducts heatfrom the outer surface directly to the tank wall, or vice versa, ineffect, by-passing the insulation and substantially reducing its overallefliciency. The principal object of the instant in- L venticn is toprovide a construction for the insulation of tanks and the like in whichsuch a sheathing is supported over the insulation in a manner to makeunnecessary the use of conducting members extending through orsubstantially through the insulation which serve to provide channels forthe iiow of heat.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated structure,such as an insulated tank or the like, including an insulating layer andan outer weather-resistant sheathing, the latter being supported fromthe tank wall by structural members including thermal-insulatingmaterial.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a structure of the typereferred to above, in which the supporting members for the sheathingcomprise strips of a structural insulating material secured to thesheathing and tank wall.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects andadvantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to themore detailed description thereof which is to follow and to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewl showing a tank or the like insulated inaccordance with the instant Referring now to the drawing, and.particularly to Fig. l, my invention is illustrated asrem bodied inv aninsulating structure for tanks asemployed in the refining and storage ofpetroleum products and the like. However, it will be under'- stood thata construction embodying the invention maybe employed with tanks of anytype and for any use and for various other structures where similarproblems are presented.

The tank I0 includes Wall I2 (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4) suitably composedof steel sheetsv riveted or otherwise secured together in anyconventional manner. Supported in spaced relationship to the wall is asheathing I4 which comprises sheets of a weather-resistant,moisture-proof material, preferably sheets of a hardened, compressed,asbestos-cement composition inasmuch as this material has been found tobe especially suitable for this purpose. Due to limitations insize, aplurality of sheets I4 are necessary, both ver.- tically andcircumferentially of the tank. Vertically of the tank wall the sheetsare preferably overlapped or shingled, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3,Z-clips I6 secured adjacent the upper edge of each lower sheetsupporting the overlapping edge of the sheet thereabove. The edges ofthe sheets forming vertical joints are suitably butted (see Figs. 2 and4) and supporting means I8, in accordance with the invention, areemployed to secure the sheets to the tank wallv adjacent-the joints. Thespace between the sheath.- ing and the tank wall is lled with aVsuitable insulating material 20. The insulatingmaterial may comprise agranulated insulation such as nodulated rock wool, blanket` insulationsuch` as a mineral woolblanket, or block insulationY of any suitabletype, it being understood that the invention is in no way limited totheuse of any particular insulating material, the above being named merelyas examples.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, the supportingmeans I8 comprises a member 22 of T-shaped cross section formed ofstrips 24 and 26 of a strong, thermal-insulating, board-like material.Suitably for this purpose, a board insulating materialisemployedcomprising a highly compressed, densiiied asbestos, lime, silicamaterial. However, other boardelike insulating materials of known typeexhibiting a relatively high modulus of rupture may be employed.

Strips 24 and 26, making up each 'If-member 22, may suitably be securedvtogether by short angle irons 28 fastenedy at spaced intervals. to.strips 24 and 26 as by screws29- and bolts 3,0, respectively (see Fig.3). T-members 22 extend preferably the full height of the tank Wall.

T-members 22 are secured to the tank wall I2 by means of spaced angleirons 32 fastened to opposite sides of the strip 216, forming the leg ofthe T, by bolts or the like 34 passing through one of the flanges andthe strip. The other flanges are preferably welded, as indicated at 36,to the metal plates forming the tank wall I2. As illustrated in Fig. 3,angle members 28 and 32 are staggered along the length of the T-member22 so that they will not be in contact with each other.

Sheathing I4, comprising a plurality of plates, preferably ofasbestos-cement material as previously referred to, are secured toT-members 22, as shown in Fig. 4. The butt joint between the platespreferably overlies T-member 22, and secured thereover is a batten 38which may suitably comprise a strip of the hardened, compressed,asbestos-cement material employed for the plates I4. Screws or otherfastening means 40 penetrate hatten strip 38 and the joint and enterstrip 24, forming the head of T-member 22. A washer 42 may be placedbeneath the head of the screw 48 if desired. Although supporting members22 have been shown only at the joints, it will be understood that in theevent relatively large sheets are employed for the sheathing, one ormore intermediate supporting members may also be provided. In thisinstance, the construction Will be the same, except that hatten stripsare, of course, unnecessary and screws or fastening means 4U areemployed to secure the plates directly to the strip 24.

Referring now to Fig. 5, a slightly modified form of the invention isshown in which the sheathing supporting means comprises strip 44,preferably of the same or similar material as that employed for thestrips 24 and 25 of the construction of Fig. 4. Strip 44 extends thefull height of the sheathing and underlies the joint between the platesforming the sheathing I4. Fastening means 43 and batteri strip 38 areemployed to secure the sheathing to strip 44 in a similar manner to thatpreviously described. Secured to the rear side of strip 44 is anextending angle iron 45, including a flange 48 fastened to a secondinsulating strip i). Insulating strip 5I), preferably of a similarmaterial to the strip 44, is secured to a second extending angle iron52, including a flange 54 welded or otherwise secured to the tank wallI2. The securing means 55 between the angle members 54 and 45 and thestrips 44 and 5U, respectively, may suitably be screws and bolts or thelike, as illustrated.

It will be noted that by the instant invention, the sheathing membersforming the exterior surface of the insulating covering are completelydivorced from the tank wall. That is, no through metal members areprovided at any point, with the result that paths of heat conduction areavoided and the maximum efficiency of the insulation 28 is obtained.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will beunderstood that these details need not be strictly adhered to, but thatvarious changes and modifications will suggest themselves to one skilledin the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined bythe subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. An insulated structure comprising a tank Wall, weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom, means supporting the sheathing comprisingstrips of insulating material extending substantially vertically of saidwall and combined to have a T-shaped cross section with the head of theT resting against the sheathing, means securing the leg of the T to theWall and means securing the sheathing to the head of the T, andinsulating material disposed between said sheathing and Wall.

2. An insulated structure comprising a tank wall, Weather-resistantsheathing comprising asbestos-cement sheets spaced therefrom, meanssupporting said sheathing comprising strips of insulating materialrunning substantially vertically of said Wall and combined to have a T-shaped cross section with the head of the T resting against thesheathing, angle members secured to the shank of the T including flangessecured to the tank wall, and means penetrating the sheathing andentering the head of the T to secure the sheathing thereto.

3. An insulated structure comprising a tank wall, weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom, means supporting said sheathing comprisingstrips of insulating material extending substantially vertically of saidWall and combined by angle members to form a member T-shaped in crosssection, means comprising angle members securing the shank of the T tothe Wall, said last-named angle members being in staggered relationshipwith respect to the angle members securing the strips forming theT-member, and means for securing the sheathing to the strip constitutingthe head of the T.

4. An insulated structure comprising a tank Wall, weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom, means supporting said sheathing comprisingstrips of insulating material extending substantially vertically of saidwall and combined by angle members to f-orm a member T-shaped in crosssection, means comprising angle members securing the shank of the T tothe wall, said last-named angle members being in staggered relationshipwith respect to the angle members securing the strips forming theT-member, means for securing the sheathing to the strip constituting thehead of the T-member, and insulating material filling the space betweensaid sheathing and wall.

5. An insulated structure comprising a wall, sheets of Weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom and including edges in substantially Aabutting relationship to form a vertical joint,

a T-shaped member composed of insulating material supporting saidsheathing from said wall at said joint, with the head of the T bridgingthe joint, means securing the shank of the T to the wall, a batteristrip overlying the joint, and means penetrating said batten strip andsheathing and entering the head of the T to secure the sheathing to saidT-shaped member.

6. An insulated structure comprising a wall, sheets of sheathingcomprising an asbestos-cement material spaced therefrom and includingedges in substantially abutting relationship to form a vertical joint, aT-shaped member composed of insulating material supporting saidsheathing from said Wall at said joint, with the head of the T bridgingthe joint, means securing the shank of the T to the wall, a batten stripoverlying the joint, means penetrating said batten strip and sheathingand entering the head of the T to secure the sheathing to said T-shapedmember, and insulating material disposed in the space between said walland sheathing.

7. An insulated structure comprising a tank Wall, weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom, means supporting the sheathing andmaintaining it in fixed relationship to the Wall, said means comprisinga strip of insulating material spaced from said Wall and sheathing andincluding angle irons secured at opposite faces of said strip and havingflanges fastened to said Wall and sheathing, respectively, andinsulating material disposed between the Wall and sheathing.

8. An insulated structure comprising a tank Wall, weather-resistantsheathing spaced therefrom, means supporting the sheathing andmaintaining it in xed relationship to the Wall, said means comprising astrip of insulating material disposed against said sheathing, a secondstrip of insulating material spaced from said rstmentioned strip andwall, angle irons secured at opposite faces of said second strip, saidangle irons including flanges secured to said wall and saidfirst-mentioned strip, respectively, and insulating material disposedbetween the Wall and 10 sheathing.

CHARLES O. FRIEDLY.

